For as great as he is, Burt Bacharach has never been much of a solo recording artist. His greatness lies as a composer, not as a performer, due largely to his gravelly voice, which has a tendency to waver out of tune, but he also has a tendency to indulge in his sleepiest MOR qualities when he's left to his own devices. Even on his 1967 solo debut, Reach Out, he emphasized easy listening, spending nearly as much time on instrumentals as he did on vocal tracks. This is a template Bacharach followed over the years, returning ...
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For as great as he is, Burt Bacharach has never been much of a solo recording artist. His greatness lies as a composer, not as a performer, due largely to his gravelly voice, which has a tendency to waver out of tune, but he also has a tendency to indulge in his sleepiest MOR qualities when he's left to his own devices. Even on his 1967 solo debut, Reach Out, he emphasized easy listening, spending nearly as much time on instrumentals as he did on vocal tracks. This is a template Bacharach followed over the years, returning to it repeatedly on his increasingly infrequent solo albums. As the decades passed, he paid less and less attention to his recording career, entering a quasi-retirement after 1977's Futures. He returned 20 years later with a collaboration with Elvis Costello, Painted from Memory. This was released at the height of a Bacharach revival -- new bands were covering his songs, dropping references to his work in interviews, and Mike Myers' Austin Powers character seemed to be lifted out of a mythical swinging '60s scored entirely to Bacharach/David songs -- but despite great reviews and the fact that it was Bacharach's best album, it stiffed. Despite its poor commercial fortunes, it eased him back into being an active artist, so when he released At This Time seven years later, it didn't seem like a comeback as much as it did a belated follow-up of Painted from Memory. The album itself isn't a continuation of that splendid affair; it's a throwback to Bacharach's solo albums of the '60s and '70s. All of the press surrounding the release of At This Time emphasized Bacharach's contention that he was compelled to write these songs due to his despair at the state of the world in 2005, which gives a not inaccurate impression that this is a politically charged record. To a certain extent, that is true: "Who Are These People" is a direct assault on the Bush administration ("Who are these people that keep telling us lies/And how did these people get control of our lives...And what kind of leaders can't admit when they're wrong?") and there's a mournful quality to many of the songs here, as on the opening pair of "Please Explain" and "Where Did It Go?" Bacharach is also writing direct, confessional first-person lyrics for the first time, which is disarming yet endearing. At This Time bears many of his lush orchestral pop trademarks and several of the songs feature the presence of many interesting collaborators, including rhythm loops by Dr. Dre. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $3.00, fair condition, Sold by Bookmans rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucson, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Legacy.
Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $3.92, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Sony Music Distribution.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. All our items come in the original case with artwork, though manuals and slipcovers are not always guaranteed to be included as these items are donated goods and will show some wear and tear from normal use. Jewel cases will be included but may be damaged and/or cracked. We typically resurface discs that are visibly scratched prior to shipping, but we do not test disc(s). Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. Thank you for shopping with Goodwill Colorado! Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Safe and Secure Bubble Mailer! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $3.98, poor condition, Sold by Movie Surplus rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Mobile, AL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Sony Music Distribution.
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Seller's Description:
Bacharach; Bacharach/Board/Ton; Bacharach/Botti/Ton; Bacharach/Porter/To; Bacharach/Tonio K. Poor. Used-Acceptable, withdrawn library disc(s) with liner notes. Disc(s) should play great without any playback issues. Disc(s) & liner notes may contain typical library markings like stickers, protective label covers, & writing. Discs may be repackaged in library style casing. Back artwork & any other promo material not included.
Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $4.99, fair condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Sony Music Distribution.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $5.60, very good condition, Sold by Salzer's Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from ventura, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Legacy.
Add this copy of At This Time to cart. $8.98, very good condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Legacy.
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